Fastening means



Aug. 5, 1930. H. E. KoNDoLF FASTENING MEANS Filed April 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 15 ./Zzwl@ ATToRNgy/f/ INVENTOR JJM( /m )MMM Aug. 5, 1930. H. E. KoNDoLF FASTENING BEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1926 4 INVENTOR` BY g LUL/Mu ATTORNEY f Patented Aug. 5, 1930 STATES.

.PATENT FFICE HENRY E. KONDOLF, or NRW YORK, N. Y., yAssIGfNoR 'ro THE rox SEAL ooRroRA'rroN,

OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, a CORPORATION or y NNW,` YORK .FAs'rENING MEANS Application inea april .20,

My present invention relates generally to packaging, and has particular reference to a fastening device to be employed in connection with boxes, cartons, bales and similar packages. y n

It is among the more important objects of my invention to provide a fastening device Afor securing portions of a package or container against separation in such af manner that removal of the fastening device and consequent openin of the package, cannot be accomplished without detection.

It is another obJect of the invention to provide a fastening device which comprises rela-` ,25 ating with the binding member to permit automatically irremovable engagement thereof with said free end. The type of binding member which is used will depend upon requirements and circumstances, vand it will be understood that my invention will have a! Wide range of applicability inasmuch ast-he binding member may comprise any of numerous shapes, forms and constructions. In a preferredembodiment, I contemplate utilizing binding members in the form of studs or tie elements. Ineitherevent, the stud or tie element isprovided with a free operative end of a character to permit engagement therewith of a locking member of the character hereinbeforereferred to.

Another feature of my inventionlies in providing a locking member which may be used interchangeably with any type of binding member; and more particularly, in cases where the binding members comprise'studs or elongated tyingv elements, the locking member is of such a nature and construction that it is applicable With equal facility to either the stud or the tie member. i

5C- It is another object of my invention to pro- 1926. 'seria No. 103,210.

vide abinding member' in the nature of a 'stud which may be used simultaneously for the additional purpose of retaining overlying' portions of the box orcontainer in position.' With this object in view, a feature of my invention lies in providing a binding member of this character with means for temporarily retaining-overlying layers vof material together before the locking member hereinbefore referred to is applied. A

In a preferred embodiment, the means which I `associate with the locking member'is of a character which will permit movement of the locking member with respectl to the free `operative end in o-nly one direction, 65 namely into engagement therewith, and although such cooperation may be accomplished ina number of ways, I prefer to provide the locking member with a temporarily expansibley element .adapted to engage with the free operati-ve end in a manner which permits movement of lthe-latter with respect to the expansible member in vonly onedirection.

`Itrisanothwer feature` of my invention to provide aflocki'ng Vmember which Vmay be utilized in conjunction with an elongated bindingor tie member which provides a plurality of free operative ends. Thus, in acase where. the bindingV member comprisesk an elongated strap' or similar device which is adapted to encircle the box orcontainer, the locking member is of a character to engage with the free ends of the binding member in a manner which automatically locks 'it in inseparable association with each end, and hence retains the ends themselves in inseparable association with each other. l,

A Vpreferred construction of the locking member provides the latter in theform of a. button-like casing within which the expansible element is vdisposedl in an inaccessible manner. The casing is provided with registering 4openings in its oppositev sides, the openings being lof an yarea substantially 'equal to the area of the free operative ends of the binding members, whereby each free operative end may be threaded through the casing in-either direction. Thus, in a case where two free operative ends are brought together,

aswhere atie memberencircles a box, the v sie ends maybe threaded through the casing in opposite overlapping directions; and inasmuch as the locking member is constructed to permit movement of eachend through the casing in only its entering direction, the ends may be adgusted to increase the over-lapping and thereby tighten the binding'member, but

retroactive movement of each end is pre vented.

. For cooperationv with ka vlocking member.

of preferred eonstruet-ioinI preferfto provide the free operative end of the binding. member with one-way teeth adapted to engageV with the expansible element within the lool;- ing member. f p I f In a contemplatedl utilizatioirwherem two oppositely'disposed overlapping ends' are threaded through the looking member, it is a further feature of the invention'to, pro- 'Fig Zis a similar viewshow1ng the Cover portion in position', and a locking member applied to Vone of the binding members;

Fig. 3 is'affragmental cros"s-seetionalview vtaken alongtheline 3%-3 ofFigQ.;v

l Figf is a cross-sectional viewtale'n along 'Yti'e'lined-ofFigB; 1

Fig. 5 is an'enlarged exploded view of a locking member anda binding member of the character illustrated in Figs.'v 1, 2 and, a portion of.the-loekingmember being'brolen away 'to reveal'th'e interior thereof; i

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showingV a clifierenttype of atedthe'rewith; v

f Figf isan enlarged view, partly in section, ofthe free'terminal ends of the binding v'inen'iber shown ini Fig. 6.; afloeling vmember being illustrated in association. therewith; Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along theline 8 8 of Fig?,

'FigghQ'is anexploded view, on an enlarged binding member asseoiseale, of alocling member unassoeiated withanybindingmember. v

Referring tothe drawings, and particularvlyftoligs .1,2andr 3,I have illustratively `shown Ea lbox which. Acomprises a :bottom body portion lOand a complementarytop or cover lportion .11, veach thereof being of .knock-'down Con-'structiony lso*V that portions Nthereof.comprise superimposed layersfofinaferial.v V.Itwillbe observed that Ihave .shown 4.a...constructionwherein the four corners of 'ing layers of material together, and thereby retain each bolt portion in set-up Condition,

prior to the complementaryassociation ofthe portions 10 and 11 with each other. For a purpose of this character, I provide afbindingniember in the form of aV stud illustrated more `clearly in Figs. 3 and 5.

Referring now'to the latter figures, it will be observed that I haveconstructed a stud having a .base 12, ashanlr 13,.a mid-portion Pfand an end portion 15. The shank'l may be substantially circular, or at least some-V what rounded, in cross-seetion,.\vliereas the portions 11iand 15 are preferably substantiall ly flat.' It will be observed upon viewing Fig. othat the stud is preferably constructedfrom a single blank of material suitably stamped and doubled on itself along al line'which will then constitute the foremost edgeV ofthe end lportion 15. The sideV edges 16 of the end portion .15 arey preferably made to converge 4toward the louterv end of the stud; the midportion le is of reducedwidth with-respect;

Vvtothe end portion 15, so that a shoulder 17 is .provid-ed. therebetween.r

Similarly .the shank 13 has va smallerdiameter of 'width than that of the mid-portion 121, and thereby a. shoulder 18'is'provided whose function willi; be presently described.V

The .y stud is initially associated'withtithe bOX'orcOnt-ainer by lpassing it through the overlying portions thereof in a manner .which willprofject the freeend outwardly,E Y oftliebox portion. For thispurpose, I,pre

fer-tO'prOvide suitably positioned slots withvin the walls ofthe boxfportion yso that the lpassage therethrough' ofA the yend portion 15 ofthe stud may be facilitated.` By then turn-.- I

ing the stud through approximately l degrees, so that the end portion l15 and the mid portion'lllwill lie lat substantially right angles-to the slot', the superposed layers of material Vwill beiirmlyheld andretained be- 1 tween .the base .12 and the shoulder 18. vI

"It will thus be Iseenthat theshoulder `18pro vides-Enieans forretainingithe bei; portiony in 'set-upconditionf InFig. `1 I have illustrativelyshown'a stud .20ina position projecting through the wall of .the portion V1.0 before having turned@ through 90 degreesgand; I have shown a stud v21 projeetingthrough the superposed hold rthese flayers together. The cover portion, Whichmayvbe ofsimilar Construction, is also provided with` slots .22.,suitably posiflayersi19,'and-turned.through'90 degrees to tioned to register with the projecting ends of the studs which have been passed through the walls of the portion 10. It will be understood that the slots 22 are disposed at right angles relatively to the slots in the portion 10, so that the cover 11 may be associated with the body portion 10 after the studs have been turned in the manner illustratively shown rby the stud 21. After the cover portion 11 has been applied, the studs are preferably again turned through approximately degrees, thereby bringing them'intothe positions assumed by them when they were initially passed through the portion 10. This second turning of the studs temporarily retains the cover portion in close association with the body portion 10.

The independently applicable locking member is then readv to be applied. Referring to Figs. 5 and 9, it will be observed that the locking member comprises preferably a button-like case 23 which may be constructed of two parts, a base 24 and a cover 25, each thereof having an upturned peripheral flange. The outside diameter of the flange on the portion 24 is approximately the same as the inside diameter of the flange on the portion 25. This permits the portions 24 and 25 to be assembled by frictional engagement of the respective flanges. If desired, the outside flange, that is the one carried by the portion 25, may be clenched after the portions 24 and 25 have been assembled so as to hold them together. /Vithin the casing thus constituted, there is disposed an expansible and resilient member which I prefer to provide in the form of a ring or loop 26 of wire or the like. In the opposite walls of the casing I provide registering openings or slots 27, which are of a length slightly greater than the unexpanded diameter of the ring 26. The ring 26 is loosely disposed or carried within the casing, and it will be evident that it is totally inaccessible for any purposes other than those for which engagement therewith was contemplated.

The slots 27 are of a size to permit passage therethrough of the terminal end or ends of a binding member. Accordingly, the locking member may now be applied over the end of the stud 2l, and the engagement of the edges 16 with the ring 26 will cause the latter to expand and permit the passage through the locking member of the end portion 15. By forcing the locking member onto the stud, the ring 26 may be made to pass the edges 16, and it will suddenly collapse about the midportion 14. In this position, the shoulders 17 will prevent removal of the locking member. I prefer to make the mid-portion 14 of a length substantially equal to the total thickness of the locking member (see Fig. 3), and it will now be understood that the application of the locking member will force the superposed layers of the cover portion 11 onto the shank 13 along with the layers 19 of the body portion 10.

Reference to Fig. 3 will illustrate clearly how the locking member has been associated in inseparable engagement with the stud,'and

ing member with the free terminal end of a f binding member, such as the stud hereinbefore described, is illustrative of the engagement between the locking member and the free terminal ends of binding members of slightly different character. In Fig. 6 I have shown a binding member in the form of a metal strap 28, the strap being of indeterminate length and having free terminal ends which may be brought together into preferably overlapping association with each other, so that the strap will encircle the container. My invention contemplates association with these free terminal ends of the locking member hereinbefore described so'as to retain them in inseparable association with each other and still permit relative movement of the ends whereby the tension of the strap 28 may be increased. y

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated the overlapping ends of the strap 28 on an enlarged scale. For the purpose of permitting engagement of the character contemplated bet/Ween. the free terminal ends and the locking member, I provide each terminal end with a series of one-way teeth, the oblique edges of the teeth being arranged to converge toward the end. Referring more particularly to the free terminal end 29 (each of the ends being similarly constructed) it will be seen that I have provided a series of teeth 30 each of which comprises a converging edge 31 and a rear transverse locking edge 32. The edges 31 of the foremost teeth are continued forwardly and imite at the foremost end along a rounded edge 33 which facilitates the insertion of the end through the locking member.

The edges 31 fulfill the same function as the edges 16 of the stud hereinbefore described; and the locking edges 32 constitute shoulders which correspondv to and function substantially like the shoulders 17 of the stud. It will be understood that the end of the strap is threaded through the locking memberl in much the same way that the end 15 of the stud was threaded therethrough, and it will be evident that the engagement between the teeth 30 and the expansible element 26 will permit movement of the end relatively to the locking member in only one direction, namely the entering direction. It will -be also evident that retroactive movement of the end with respect to the locking member is efciently p-revented by the engagement of the lockingedges 32 with the expanded element 26.

The width of the slots 27 is lof suiiicient llU 4magnitude to Vpermit both of the free terminal ends of the strap 28 to be threaded through the locking member, and preferably in overlapping positions and in opposite directions. VIn this manner, the extent of the overlap may be increased to tighten the strap about the container, but it will be evident that loosening of the strap'is totally prevented. As an added precaution, and as a feature of my invention, I provide means for preventing prolonged .expansion of the element 26 (by insertion of one of the ends) whereby withdrawal of the other end might be effected.

For lthis purpose, I provide the teeth along an end 'portion which is of slightly reduced width' with 'respect to the width of the main portion of the strap 28. 'Ihis rereduction in width manifests itself by the shoulder 34 which is provided between the body portion of the strap and the rearmost tooth. For the purpose of increasing the eectiveness of this shoulder 34, I provide a straight, non-converging portion 35 between the irearmost tooth andthe body portion of the strap. The provision of the shoulder 34 prevents the insertion of one end to such an extent vvthat the expansible element 26 might be permanently expanded by engagement over the body portion of the strap; because al- 30 though tightening of the strap is possible, nevertheless 'the `e.\:tent of this tightening is limited, and, after either end has been passed through the locking member to a certain eX- tent, the eXpansible element 26 will engage y with the shoulder 34 and prevent further threading of the end. y

It'will thus be seen that I have provided means for inseparably associating each terminal free end of the'strap28 with the locking member, and hence associating the free terminal ends irremovably with vrespect to each other.

I prefer to provide the ends of the strap with a series of holes36 which facilitates tightening of thestrap by providing engageable portions. That is, a suitable tool may be inserted into any of the holes 36 so as to se- Acurefa firm grip thereon.

I also prefer to vprovide the free terminal end 15 of the stud with'anopening37. This opening is provided for the purpose of per- -mitting the passage through each stud of a continuous binding rod or element which may be made to pass about Vthe container substantially at rightangles to the passage of the strap 28, but it will be understood that the provision of the opening 37, or of the holes 36 is entirely optional and does not materially affect the nature of'my invention.

It will be obvious that various changes in vthe `details herein Vdescribed and illustrated forl the purpose of explaining the nature of my invention may be made by those skilled in the art without Vdeparting from the spirit and scope of the 'invent-ion as expressed in the appended claims; and it is therefore intended that these details be interpreted as illus- -trative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my yinvention and illustrated its use what I claim as-new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A fastening device comprising a binding member having a free operative end shaped to provide at least onefone-way tooth, and an independently applicable complementary locking member therefor provided with means for permitting irremovable engagement thereof over said free end, said locking member comprising an apertured casing through which said free end may be threaded in either direction, and said means comprising an expansible resilient ring inaccessibly freely and totally disposed Within said casing and engageable with said tooth in a manner which permits movement of the end only in the entering direction.

2. A fastening device comprising a stud having an enlarged base, a shank, a mid-portion adjacent to and wider than the latter to provide an abrupt shoulder between the shank and the mid-p0rtion, and an operative free end wider than the mid-portion to provide an abrupt shoulder between the free end and the mid-portion, said stud being insert'- able through elements to be bound together `95 to position said elements on said shank and to temporarily lock them in back of said iirst mentioned shoulder, and an apertured locking member applicable over said free end, said locking member being provided with "m0 means for inseparably engaging said member with the stud, by engagement thereof in back of said second mentioned shoulder, said means permitting movement of the Vlocking member over said free end onto saidfmidl195 port-ion but not back again, whereby the elements to be boundtogether will be ir'removably retained between said vbase and said member. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto 410 signed my name.

HENRY E. KONDOLF. 

